No. 63. 1 333 



DELAWARE COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



In obedience to the provisions of the act passed May 5, 1841, to 

 promote agriculture, I present the following abstract of the proceed- 

 ings of the Delaware County Agricultural Society. The amount of 

 money received from the State, was $106; received by subscription, 

 $106; balance from last year, $54; making a total of $266. The 

 second annual Fair was held at Delhi, October 12. [The list of pre- 

 miums, which are here detailed, amounted to $186. Among the pre- 

 miums awarded, was one to Jabez Bostwick, who made from eight 

 cows, from 1st of May to lOth of October, 1,341 lbs. of butter, be- 

 sides what was used in his family, and making cheese one week du- 

 ring the time. 



At a meeting of the Executive Committee, on the 25th November, 

 premiums were awarded for the best and second best half acres of In- 

 dian corn, the yield being 36 J and 32 J bushels. For the best acre 

 of spring wheat, to L. W. Andrews; yield, 33 J bushels. The ground 

 was planted with potatoes the previous year, plowed in the fall, ma- 

 nured and harrowed in the spring. For the second best acre of spring 

 wheat, to Levi Hanford, 27 i bushels, cultivated same as preceding, 

 except that the manure was applied in the fall, previous to plowing. 

 The premium crops of potatoes, produced 213 and 201 bushels on 

 half an acre. Ruta bagas, first premium, 308 bushels on one-fourth 

 of an acre. For the greatest nett profit from one acre, the premium 

 was awarded to W. B. Hanford for an acre of potatoes — raised 402 

 bushels, at an expense of $28.89; estimated at l8f cents, the clear 

 profit would be $46.11. The second premium for the same object, 

 was awarded to Street Dutton, for an acre of potatoes, planted on 

 sward, plowed in the spring, and manured with long coarse manure. 

 Expense, $36.31; product, 426 bushels; profit, $43.66. A premi- 

 um was awarded on an acre of oats, yielding 67 bushels. The total 

 amount of premiums awarded at this meeting was $73. J 



Mr. Jonathan Benedict, who received the first premium on drained 

 sugar, furnished the following statement: " The vessels to hold the 

 sap were perfectly clean. Before the sap is boiled, it is strained 

 through a flannel cloth; boiled in a sheet iron pan down to a syrup; 

 then taken out and cooled; then strained into a kettle to cleanse the 

 syrup. I make use of a pint of milk to three gallons of syrup; then 

 place over a slow fire, boil and skim as long as any thing impure rises 

 to the top. Boil until the syrup begins to rope, then turn it into a 

 a hopper, and let it stand ten or twelve days, with a plug in the bot- 

 tom of the cask. I use a wet cloth over the sugar, changing the 

 cloth once a week for three or four weeks." 



There were satisfactory vouchers presented, on all crops for which 

 premiums were awarded; but as the crops were not deemed to be any 

 thing extraordinary, on account of the frosts in June, and the drouth 

 in July and August, in this county, it was deemed by the Executive 



